Through your contribution, we will continue to pay for our staff social worker, Fatma Nawaja, to bring the Pinwheels for Peace program to Palestinian schools. We have found this program provides a counseling opportunity for children coping with trauma. Fatma is now working with children in five villages in the South Hebron Hills and her intervention extends to include such important things as safety procedure when the children find unexploded ordinances, conflict resolution, and programs to build self esteem.

It will cost over $15K to bring the three children and their parents from Palestinian villages slated for demolition to Congress on International Peace Day on September 21st. We will seek sponsorship and grant funding to reach this goal. The children will present their Pinwheels for Peace in a Senate briefing, and explain their vision of peace and their ambitions for the future directly to members of Congress in personal meetings. Most importantly, they will be given a chance to share their story and be heard, instead of being statistics. Their parents will describe why demolition of their communities is wrong as we press for recognition of Palestinian planning rights with the help of constituents.

When we brought the children last year, Senators and Representatives listened, and took action! They wrote letters expressing concern, tweeted their support, and promised to do all they could to keep Palestinian villages safe. Though 2016 has seen a major upswing in demolitions, more people are starting to notice and speak up. While in Washington, DC recently, we visited 25 Congressional offices, as well as the State Department and senior staff at the National Security Council. We discussed with them the importance of pressing for the rights of Palestinians to live and build on the land they own. In September, the children will present their Pinwheels for Peace, an international project aimed to help kids develop and hold on to a vision of peace and safety for the future. We are so grateful and humbled by your support on yesterday's GlobalGiving Bonus Day. Your donations will allow us to continue doing this important work.